U.S. application Ser. No. 266,298, filed on May 22, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,446 and entitled, "Sewing Machine System Having Automatic Identification and Processing of Mounted Work" discloses an automatic sewing machine system wherein workpieces prearranged within pallets are automatically sewn. The system allows each workpiece prearranged within a particular pallet to be automatically identified. This is accomplished by sensing a code present on the pallet. This automatic identification is used to assign a stitch pattern to the workpiece that is to be automatically sewn each time the particular pallet is presented to the automatic sewing machine system. The stitch pattern assignment is made by a separate interactive communication between the operator and the machine following the automatic identification of the pallet containing the workpiece. The stitch pattern thus assigned is automatically sewn each time the particular pallet is presented to the sewing machine system.
The above system furthermore allows for the automatic processing of a number of pallets so as to thereby allow a number of different individual workpieces to each have a particular stitch pattern automatically sewn thereon. This automatic processing of a number of different workpieces continues until either a workpiece is not timely presented, or a workpiece is presented that does not have a stitch pattern previously assigned thereto.
The above described system does not allow for either the assigning or subsequent sewing of a multiple number of stitch patterns on the same or similar workpiece prearranged within the same pallet. In this regard, the same stitch pattern will always be sewn on the workpiece prearranged within the given pallet each time the workpiece is presented for sewing.